7th Worcs and Machine Gun Corps

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7th Worcs and Machine Gun Corps

Postby satchmolips » Sat May 29, 2010 1:08 pm

I have been researching Pte Samuel Munn. He enlisted as 5546 7th Worcs on 30 August 1916 but seems immediatley to have transferred to MGC as 82823. Was this normal or was MGC part of the regiment so to speak?
Interestingly he was killed the same day as his brother Sgt James Munn 240724, 2/8 Worcestershire, at Cambrai. Have been researching both as the local primary school which they attended will be visiting their graves during a French trip.
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Postby scully » Sat May 29, 2010 4:46 pm

Hi,

Private Samuel Munn (5546) enlised into the Army at Worcester on the 17th October 1916 (at the time he enlisted his occupation was stated as a Gardener). On the 17th October 1916 he was posted to the 3/7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. On the 27th December 1916 he was transferred to the No. 3 Battalion Machine Gun Corps and his service number changed to 82823.

On the 24th April 1917 he sailed from Folkstone to Boulogne, France and embarked there later the same day. He then joined the B Depot M.G.C. on the 26th April 1917. He was then posted to the 177th Company Machine Gun Corps on the 8th May 1917.

On the 30th June 1917 he was taken ill and was transferred to a Field Hospital for treatment (135 Field Ambulance) suffering from retention of urine.

On the 21st July 1917 he rejoined 177th Company Machine Gun Corps in the field.

He was killed in action on the 3rd December 1917.

Hope the above is of some help.

Regards,

Louis (webmaster)
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Munn

Postby satchmolips » Sun May 30, 2010 9:07 am

Many thanks for this. I had gleaned much of that from his service records but the transfer to MGC was unclear. Very helpful
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Postby scully » Sun May 30, 2010 10:25 am

At the start of WW1 in 1914 all infantry battalions were equipped with a machine gun section of two guns. This later increased to four in February 1915. At this time these machine gun sections were equipped with Maxim machine guns. Each section of 12 men were commanded by a subaltern.

During the early Battles of Ypres it was soon established that the machine gun sections required specialised training, tactics and organisation. Due to this on the 22nd November 1914 the British Army established a Machine Gun School at Wisques in France to train new regimental officers and machine gunners. About the same time a Machine Gun Training Centre was also established at Grantham in England.

The War Office put forward a poroposal on the 2nd September 1915 for the formation of a single specialist Machine Gun Company per infantry brigade. This was done by withdrawing the machine guns and gun teams from the infantry battalions. They were replaced at battalion level by the light Lewis machine guns and thus the firepower of each brigade would be substantially increased.

The Machine Gun Corps (MGC)was created by Royal Warrant on the 14th October 1915. The companies which had previously formed in each brigade then transferred to the new Corps.

The speed of this reorganisation depended mainly on the rate of supply of the Lewis Guns to the infantry battalions. However, it was finally completed before the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

A Base Depot (B Depot) for the Machine Gun Corps was established at Camiers, France. It was here that Private Samuel Munn joined them on the 26th April 1917.

Shortly after the formation of the MGC, the Maxim Guns were replaced by the new Vickers Machine Guns, which became the standard. Two men were required to carry the equipment and two the ammunition. A Vickers machine gun team also had two spare men.

Hope the above helps a little.

Regards,

Louis (webmaster)
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Munn

Postby satchmolips » Sun May 30, 2010 6:12 pm

This does help tremendously. I should have asked earlier. Do you have any records for his brother Worcs Reg as above. I was able to find Samuel througn the pension records as he left a wfie and child, but alas his brothers records probably went the way of many of the Frist World War
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